Island



A. GAGNE.

STOP MOTION AND ALARM'MECHAvNI-SM FO'R KNITTING MACHINES. APPLxcATloN man sEPT.13.1917.

1,375,217, Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. GAGN.

STOP MOTION AND AL'ARIVI IVIECHANISIVI FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

i APPLICATION FILED SEPTJS, 19H. 119375321X, Patented Apr. T19, 1921:,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

T /f-l for@ A. GAGN.

STOP MOTION AND ALARM MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I3. I9I7.

1,3759217, Patented Apr. i9, 19ML 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N @@Mw@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTIN GAGN, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY IVIESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO HEMPHILL COMPANY, OF EAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

STOP-MOTION AND ALARM MECIIANISM FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

Application led September 13, 1917.

fo @ZZ zc/tom t may concer/a:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTIN GAGN, a subject of Great Britain, residing at Central Falls, in the county of Providence, State of Rhode Island, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Stop-Motion and Alarm Mechanisms for Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specilication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The features of the invention are applicable in` connection with circular knitting machines. The invention includes devices of novel character for detecting a fault, more especially needles which have lost their heels or butts through breakage, in which latter instance such devices are operative to detect a needle which occupies an unretracted position at a point in the circuit of the needle-carrier at which it should occupy a retracted position. One of the said features consists in means for withdrawing the detector from its working position, as for instance prior to reciprocating knitting, so as in such instance to take it out of the path of needles which are given raised or projected positions in order to render them inoperative to knit, and are caused to remain therein during the reciprocating knitting, as in knitting the heel and toe of a stocking. The invention includes, also, improved tripping, unshipping, and shipper devices for knitting` machines, especially adapted for employment in combination with automatic stop-motion devices, including yarn stopmotions.

Figure 1 of the drawings shows in side elevation, with small portions of certain parts broken away, a circular knitting machine having embodiments of the features of the invention applied thereto. The said machine is of the well-known Banner type which is disclosed as to its main features in Letters Patent of the United States No. 933,1l-3, granted under date of September 7, 1909, to J. D. Hemphill.

Fig. 2 is a partial rear elevation of the said machine with the said embodiments of the features of the invention applied thereto. with the machine standing at rest.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the shipper and certain parts in connection therewith. in the same positions as those occupied by them in Fig. 2.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

Serial No. 191,098.

Figs. a and 5 are detail views of the detent-lever constituting an element of the stop-motion mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the needle-cylinder of the said machine and certain parts adjacent thereto, including elements of the stop-motion devices, with the needle-detector in normal working relations with the needle-circle.

` Fig. 7 is a view on the same order as Fig. 6, but showing the needle-detector as having been engaged and moved by a needle which has not been retracted, and the associated stop-motion parts in the resulting positions.

Fig. 8 is a view on the same general order as Figs. 6 and 7, showing the needle-detector retracted by the action of the automatic means provided to effect such relation, as for reciprocating knitting.

The machine that is partly shown in the drawings by way of illustrating a practical application of the features of the invention is an automatic stocking machine of a make that is extensively in use at this time.` The general construction, mode of operation, etc., of the said machine are not material so far as the invention is concerned.

T he drawings show the usual rotating needle-cylinder N of the Banner type of machine, the circular series of needles a2 carried thereby, a sinker-bed u, a sinker-camplate G, a latch-ring C, and yarn-guides d. Also a main-shaft s with loose or idle-pulley p2, slow-speed-pulley p', and quick-speedpulley 70, all mounted thereon, a drivingband 793, a shipper p5 carrying the fork p51 embracing one run of the driving-band p3, a pattern-barrel-shaft s', and a shipper-controlling pattern-cam-wheel p6 mounted on said pattern-barrel-shaft s. Shipper 795 is shown mounted as usual upon a fixed rod p52 projecting from machine-frame a, and adapted to slide along the said rod to enable it to occupy successive positions corresponding with the respective band-pulleys. At 'v' is a. latch which, by entering a notch in a bar p* attached to shipper p5 and projecting inward therefrom, locks the shipper in the position shown in Figs. 2 and'B, namely, with the driving-band upon the loose or idle pulley 792 and the machine stopped.

As heretofore. during the operation of the machine the position of the shipper p5 is controlled, to determine which hand-pulley the Cir band 292.

arm and rockshaft outwardly so as to cause the pin 18 to engage with the shipper and more the latter outward to place the bandpulley p3 upon the loose or idle driving- Normally, however, the roclrsha't 6 is lrept locked from turning through the action of the detent-means mentioned above, with the arm and pin 18 in a position close to the adjacent side oi2 the machine, as in Figs. 2 and 3. This position or the arm and pin leaves the shipper free to occupy a position holding the driving-band upon quickspeed-pulley j), or one holding` the band upon slow-speed-pulley p. TJpon the disengagement or the detent-means the spring 16 acts to roclr the arm and rockshait outward so that through the engagement of the pin 18 with the shipper the latter is moved outward and the driving-band thereby is transferred to the loose or idle pulley p2.

The detent-means comprises, in the illustrative form thereof shown in the drawings, an arm 8, F ig. 1, that is liXed upon the rockshatt, and a detent-lever 9 having its lower end constructed to engage with 'the top oiLl the arm 8 in manner indicated in Fig. 1, so as by such engagement to prevent the roclrshaiit 6 from turning'under the action of spring 16. The detent-lever 9 is disposed in an. upright position, and pivoted at 10 in connection with a suitable support l1. A spring 12, F ig. 1, in connection with the detent-lever holds its lower end in engagement with the arm 8, and keeps a projection 9a of the detent-lever pressed against one side of the arm 8, such projection serving to prevent the end of the detent-lever from being swung too Jfar forward, past the S, by theaction of the spring 12, in entering into engagement with the arm. The unlocking of the rockshaft to tree it to the action of the spring 16, so that it may ie rocked by the agency of the latter,I is eirected by swinging the detent-lever around its pivot 10 so as to disengage the detentlever from arm 8 by a rearward movement.

Referring now to the means through which the detector-device disengages the detent when moved by a needle which has engaged therewith.

ln the illustrated embodiment thereo'l1 the carrier or.' the detector 2 is combined operatively with the detent-lever 9 by means et a link 13, an upright lever 14, and a horizontal tripping-lever 15. The link 13 connects carr'er 3 with the upright-lever 14. The lower arm o'll lever 14. extends into proximity to the inner arm oi' the horizontal trip ping-lever 15. The outer arm of the tripping-lever extends alongside the top end oi tie detent-lever 9. lVhen the detector and its carrier are swung around the pivot 3 in consequence of the engagement of an unretracted needle with the detector, the link 12 transmits louovement to the upright lever 14 by which the latter is swung around its pivot 1li, and the said lever through engagement with the inner arm ot the horizontal tripping-lever 15 causes the latter to swing around its pivot 15a. rhrough the engagement of the outer arm of the tripping-lever with the upper arm ot the detentlever 9, the latter is swung around its pivot 10 so to disengage its lower end romthe arm 8 ot the roclrshatt 6, thereby unlocking the said rockshaft.

From what already has been stated it will be clear that upon tae disengagement of detent-lever 9 from arm 8 the roclishait is rocked outwardly through the action of the contracting spiral spring 16, and as the arm 5 is swung outwardly,7 the pin 18 carried thereby engages with the shipper 5 and acts to move the shipper outward along support p52, thereby transferring the driving-band p3 from whichever pulley, 7) 0r p2, it has been working upon over to the loose or idle pulley p2, and thus bringing about the stopping ot the machine.

For the purpose of keeping the lower end of the detent-lever 9 rearward ot the arm 8 after the latter has been swung outward by the rocking of the roclrshat 6, in order that by reason oi' the said lower end being thus kept rearward the said end shall be prevented irom being drawn forward past the arm 8 by the action of the operating spring 12, the said lower end oi the detent-lever carries a lateral projection 19, which is so arranged that when the detent -lever is swung around its pivot 10 to carry its lower end rearward out of engagement with the arm 8 et the roclrshait 6, and the said rockshait is turned by the action of spring 16, such turning carries the arm S upward in front oi the lateral projection 19. firm 8 then by engagement with the liront tace of the lateral projection 19 keeps the engaging portion ot the detent-lever at the rear o' the arm 8. wWhen the operator, by taking hold ol the crank-handle 2') upon the roclshatt o', rocks the said roclsha'ft reversely so as to swing` arm 5 and its pin 18, as well as arm 8, inwardly., the tension or :he spring 12 will operate to draw the engaging end oi the detent-lever 9 'forward over the top or' the arm S and into locking engagement therewith as soon the said arr. .8 has been depressed sufficiently to permit snch action to take place.

In practice, knitting; machines having` the :features oit' the present invention applied thereto will be equipped with devices ot approved character for detecting breakage or failure of a yarn or yarns on the way from the source ot supply to the needles, or the occurrence oit knots, or an excess oi"- tension in a yarn. Fig. 1 shows a rod 21 extending downward from the usual position ol these additional devices over the head ot the maicio chine, which rod is arranged in any approved manner heretofore usual or preferred for vertical movement downward on the occurrence of one of the contingencies for which provision is made in the case ot the overhead devices. Said iigure shows also a bell-crank 22 arranged to be operated by downward movement of the rod 21, this bellcrank being connected by a link 23 with the horizontal tripping-lever 15, so that downward movement ot the rod 21 will operate the tripping-lever 15 to disengage the detent-lever 9 to provide for an unshipping action substantially such as has been explained, to bring about stopping of the machine.

Referring now to the means for withdrawing the detector 2 from its normal working position, prior to the performance of reciprocating knitting:

The support 4 for the detector-carrier 3 has capacity tor movement for the purposes ot such withdrawal. ln the illustrative embodiment o1 the invention, the said support 4 is an arm, which is pivoted at 4, in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, and is connected by means or a link 24 to one arm of a bell-crank 25 at the side of the machine the other arm of which, as shown best in Figs. 1 and 2, is connected by a downwardly extending link 26 to one arm of a. lever 2T. er contracting` spiral spring 28, Fig. 1, in connection with this lever operates through the connections which have been described to hold the support 4 normally in the working position shown in Figs. 6 and 7. A pattern-cam 29 upon the pattern-barrel-shait 8 actuates the lever 27 to move the support 4 from its working position in Figs. 6 and 7 to its withdrawn position shown in Fig. 8, so as thereby to move the detector 2 from its working position above the circle oli' needles into a retracted position entirely clear of the said circle of needles. As an acting portion of cam 29 releases the lever 27 the spring 23 restores the support4 and needle-detector to working position. In the present case, the cam 29 is formed and related properly to cause the withdrawal of the needle-detector 2 for and during reciprocating knitting in knitting a heel, and also for and during reciprocating work in knitting a toe, and to permit the detector to occupy the desired working relations with respect to the needles during circular or roiind-andround knitting.

Preferably an audible alarm is provided in order to attract the operators attention when the stop-motion devices act. Such an alarm is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 1 shows a bell 30 (which is omitted from Fig. 2 in order to avoid concealing parts which it is desired to show in such view) which is conveniently mounted upon an edge of the bed-plate o2. A olapper-lever 31 is mounted upon the upper arm of the detent-lever 9 by means of a pivot-screw 32. This clapperlever is furnished with a pin 33 projecting laterally in proximity to the upper run of the driving-band p3, and of a length sufiicient to extend across the width of the band-pulleys p, p, p2, for cooperation with one or more striker-blocks 34 attached to the exterior surface of the driving-band. The extent'of turning movement of the clapperlever 31 relative to the detent-lever is limited by means of a stop-pin a2 upon the upper arm or" the detent-lever, with which stoppin the tail of the clapper-lever engages. So long as the' detent-lever is in position for engagement with the arm 8 of the rockshaft 6, the pin 33 is held clear of the path of the striker-block or striker-blocks 34 of the driving-band. lllhen, however. the detent-lever is swung around its pivot 10 so as to disengage its lower end from the arm 8, and is temporarily locked in its new position through the engagement or arm 8 with the laterally-projecting piece 19, the pin 33 is brought and held closer to the surface of the upper run ot the driving-band and is struck by the striker-block 34, or each thereof in succession in case more than one such striker-block is provided, and as a result of the pin being struck by a striker-block, the clapper-lever is thrown toward the bell so as to cause it to strike the latter and make a sound.

A special feature in connection with the spring 1 by means ol' which the shipper 795, when unlatched by the disengagement of the latch fu', is moved inward to place the driving-band upon one or the other of the pulleys 7? and 72, as the case may be, is the fact that such spring is connected at its inner end to the arm 5 of the rockshatt 3. By reason of this connection with the arm 5, instead of to a fixed point in connection with the machine-frame, the spring 16 is relieved of the work of overcoming the tension of the spring 1 is operating to move the shipper outward by rocking the arm 5 and rockshaft 6 outwardly alter the unlocking of the rockshaft by the disengagement of the detentlever 9 from the arm 8. The spring 16, therefore, does not need to be as strong as it would have to be if the spring 1 extended from the shipper to a lined point on the machine-trame. Assuming that while the machine stood at rest the shipper was locked in this outermost position by means of the latch o. the operation of rocking the rockshaft 6 by hand reversely, to move the arm 5 inward and rengage the arm 8 with the vdetent-lever 9, will have the effect of stretching both springs 1 and 16, thereby placing spring 1 in a proper state of tension to draw the shipper inward as soon as the latch o is disengaged from the shipper, in addition to placing the spring 16 in proper tension to rock the arm 5 outward to effect unshipping upon the subsequent unlocking of the rockshaft 6.

lll/*hat is claimed as the invention is l. Stop-motion and alarm devices for knitting machines comprising a shipper, a spring-actuated rockslia'ft tor actuating said shipper to unship the driving-power, a detent for holding said roclrshaift restrained in readiness to act in moving said shipper, a detector adapted to be actuated by a needle which remains unretracted and through which the detent is actuated to release the roclrshaft, and an alarm-device having a striker-device connected with said detent and called into action by such actuation of the detent.

2. Stop-motion and alarm devices for knitting machines comprising a shipper, a spring-actuated actuator for the said shipper to cause it to effect unshipping, a detent for said actuator, detector-means through Which the detent is operated to release the actuator, a moving piece adapted to act as a cam, and an audible-alarm-device having a striker which is moved into the path orn said cam by the detent when the latter is operated.

l. Stop-motion and alarm devices for knitting machines comprising a shipper, a spring-actuated actuator for the said shipper to cause it to eitect unshipping, a detent for said actuator, a detector adapted to be actuated by a needle which remains unretracted and through which the detent is operated to release the actuator, a moving piece adapted to act as a cam, and an audiblealarm-device having a striker which is moved into the path oiu said cam by the detent When the latter is operated.

4. In a knitting machine, the combination With a group of band-pulleys, a shipper, and a pattern-cam-Wheel controlling the position of the said shipper, of a spring-actuated actuator for the said shipper by which the latter is operated to unship the drivingpoiver, detent-means by which said actuator is controlled, and a spring connecting said shipper to said actuator, operating to hold the shipper against the pattern-cam-Wheel.

5. ln a knitting machine, in combination, a group of band-pulleys, a shipper, a pattern-cam-Wheel controlling the 1position of the shipper and driving-band relative to the band-pulleys, a spring-actuated rockshaft Jor actuating said shipper to ship thedriving-band upon the loose or idle pulley, detent-means for restraining said rockshaft, and a spring connecting said shipper to said roclrshaft, operating to, hold the shipper against the pattern-cam-Wheel.

6. In a knitting machine, in combination,

a group of band-pulleys, a shipper, a pattern-cam-Wheel controlling the position of the shipper relative to said band-pulleys, a spring-actuated rocker for actuating said shipper to ship the driving-band upon the loose or idle pulley, detent-means for restraining' said rocker, a latch ior holding the shipper in position adjacent the loose or idle pulley, and a spring connecting the shipper to the rocker adapted to draw the shipper toward the pattern-cam-ivheel When said latch is disengaged.

7. A circular knitting machine comprising a fault-detector having a detecting position adjacent the needle-circle, a normally stationary support for said detector relative to which the latter is moved on detection of a fault, and means for automatically operating said support, to Withdraw said faultdetector from proximity to the needles When reciprocation of the cylinder is to take place.

8. A circular knitting machine having a rotating needle-cylinder, stop motion devices including a normally stationary detectorsupport, a detector movably combined there- With and projecting across the needlecircle at a point Where the needles normally occupy a retracted position, arranged to be cleared by the retracted needles and to be engaged and operated to call the stopping ot the machine by a needle Which occupies an unretracted position by reason of loss of its heel or butt, and means 'for automatically operating said detector-support and thereby withdrawing said detector clear of the needles When reciprocation of the needlecylinder is to take place.

9. A circular knitting machine having stop-motion devices including a normally stationary detector-support, a detector movably combined therewith Which projects across the needle-circle at a point Where the needles normally occupy a retracted position, arranged to be cleared by the retracted needles and to be engaged and operated to call the stopping of the machine by a needle which occupies an unretracted position by reason of loss of its heel or butt, and a pattern-cam operatively connected With said detector-support and by which the latter is operated and the detector Withdrawn clear of the needles when reciprocating Work is to be performed.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence oil two Witnesses.

AUGUSTIN GAGNE.

Witnesses OLA Ln GEORGE, H. Louisa MORRIS. 

